We don't talk the talk: in the world of higher ed, sometimes a rose just can't be a rose. (Editor's Note).

RECENTLY, I SPENT SOME TIME IN WASHINGTON, DC, at the Stamats Presidents' Institute on Integrated Marketing & Branding (www.stamats.com) and discovered something curious: Higher ed administrators are now open to art sorts of strategic approaches borrowed from the world of big business--as long as you cart them something else.

Now, you may think I'm being a bit harsh about this, but believe me, I'm not. Spend a few days sequestered with a passel of college presidents and executives anxious to reposition or better position their institutions in a highly competitive--and now economically challenged--environment, and you, too, will catch a rare glimpse into their innermost conflicts.

On the one hand, these are people who are entirely earnest in their desire to do better for their schools. After decades--no, centuries--of distancing the academy from the baser instincts of corporate America, these are troopers who are now willing to open their minds and souls to the hard-nosed concepts of marketing a product, segmenting an audience, collecting data for a brand plan, and more. They ask tough and probing questions of our seminar hosts; they describe challenging scenarios; they take copious notes.

On the other hand, the cringing at the mention of terms like "segmenting" and "branding" is palpable. In a Q & A session following the topic of brand plan development, one brave executive raises his hand and asks the question that has been slithering beneath the issues.

"When we take these initiatives back to our boards, staff, and faculty, do we have to cart them 'branding' and 'marketing' initiatives? I'll never get past square one. Can't we call them something else?"

Our session leader chuckles; he's heard this more times than he'd like to admit. "You can call them anything you like, as long as you craft the mission, do the strategic planning, gather the research, and execute the vision. Don't let the words stand in the way," he warns.

It is at this point that the gentleman seated to my left leans over and whispers to me, "Someone should create a vocabulary that we can take back to our meetings." Never one to turn my back on a challenge, I oblige.

What It Is          What You Can Call It

"Marketing"         "Making our school and our vision known and
                    attractive to the right audiences by solidifying
                    our vision, sharpening our strategic plan,
                    removing roadblocks, and getting the word
                    out and generating response effectively."

"Branding"          "Creating a strong identity; trustmark; promise
                    for our institution."

"Tagline"           "What we promise we are, in a short, simple
                    phrase."

"Promotion"         "Effectively putting our message across in
                    the right place, at the right time, and to the
                    right audience."

"Graphic Identity   "A visual 'this is us'--consistent across all
Program"            areas of our institution."

"Integrated         "Making sure our promise, our communications,
Marketing"          and our ongoing relationships with
                    students/families/community are all working
                    together toward the same goats."

"Gap Analysis"      "The difference between what we hope is perceived,
                    and what actually is; between the response
                    we wanted, and the response we got."

This, of course, is just a sampling. What's that you say? Too many words? Too cumbersome to use over and over again while you're trying to get buy-in? I have a feeling others have been in your shoes before. They're called business people. Sooner or later, you may just have to admit that, yes, you are in the business of delivering higher education, and that doesn't diminish the value of the education. Done well, it continually improves it.

You can reach Kathy Grayson at [e-mail].